Internal-combustion engine



n. F. GILE. I INTERNAL COMBUSTION, ama.

APPLICATION man A.Qs. 2|,19e.

PatentedMan 30, 1920.

RQF. GILE.

PNTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-21,1916- Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 6

R. F. GILE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2I, 1916.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

fig 5. QF-

f I f R. F. GILE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTIQN ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.21, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RICHARD F. GILE, OF CLIFTON'DALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- I MENTS, TO GEORGE K. WOOIDWORTH, TRUSTEE, 0F BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

INTERNALCOMBUSTitjN Enema.

Specification ot ietters Patent. I Patented D131. 30, 1920.

Application filed August 21, 1913. Serial No. 115,939.

of Cliftondale, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a' specification.

My invention relates to internal combus tion engines and more especially to engines of the combined pump and. motor cylinder' type, either single or double acting, and its object is to provide a. simple and efficient means actuated by an auxiliary crank shaft for controlling the motion of the sub-piston.

The drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification show an illus-.

trative embodiment of my invention, but it is to be understood that the construction herein particularly described may bewi'dely' In the drawings- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a slngle acting engine embodying my improved sub-piston control. Fig. 2 is a-cen-. tral longitudinal section taken on'the-line 22 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the positions of the moving parts at various points in the cycle. 3

In the particular drawings selected for more fully disclosing my invention, 1" represents a frame, herein shown as a two-part casing having its parts connected by the bolts 2 and inclosing the lower poitionof the engine. by the bolts 3 is acylinder l, the lower end of which is open and projects into said casing and the upper end of which is closed by the head 5 attached by the bolts 6 and is provided with a number of fuel passages or flutes 7 arranged lengthwise in its bore and communicating with the combustion chamber A. Any suitable number of flutes, say

from 16 to 20, more or less, may be-used. A spark-plug 8 is screwed into the cylinder head, its points projecting into the combustion chamber, and the cylinder and head are water-jacketed as shown at 9, 10.

Arranged to reciprocate within thejcyl-F inder 1s a power piston 11, here1n shown as a trunk piston, and a double p1t-man'12 en gages the pin 13 secured in the wallsthereo'f and connects said piston to the wrist pin 14 Secured to the top of the casing of thecrank 15 to transmit the power de .veloped inithe. cylinder to the main crank throu h and is guided by a longitudinal bore in the central core of the powerpiston, its lower end being -piv'otallyf connected to the shaft 16 journaled'in the bearings 17 intelink 20 which in turn engages-the lever 21 shown in the present instance as a bifurcated elbow-lever pivotally connected, to the auxiliary crank shaft 22. The auxiliary "crank shaft has bearings in the engine frame located above and to the rear of the bearings 17 of the main crank shaft, and is provided fwith-a' crank 23 which as shown may be integral therewith. 4 Theconnecting rod 24: is in pivotal engagement with the auxiliary crank 23 and the shorter arm 25 of the bell crank 25, 26 which is arranged tooscillate about the stationary shaft 27 secured in the :bearings 28, or else is fixed with respect to said shaft which in such case will become a rock-shaftoscillatable in said bearings.

The longer arm 26 of the, bellicrank is p1v otally connected with the lever 21 by the link 28 which is attached to said lever by the stud 29 secured between the two sides thereof atthe center of the elbowed portion of the same. It is necessary that the main crank 15 and the auxiliary crank 23 should have a fixed relative position the one with I respect to the other at all point in the cycle, and this is accomplished in th present instance'by gears 30, 31, secured respectively to the main shaft 16 and auxiliary shaft 22 and having the same number of teeth together with the inter-meshing gear 32 rotatable about the stud 33 secured to the frame.

I It will be obvious, however. that manyother arrangements may be employed-t0 maintain the two cranks in fixed relative position.

The cylinder has an exhaust passage 34 controlled by an inwardly opening valve 35 normally held to its seat by the spring 36 which surrounds the valve stem 37 and bears against the valve housing and the collar 38 onsaid stem. The valve may be opened by any'suitable mechanism such for example as the tappet39 actuated by the cam 40 which cooperates with the head 41 thereof, gearing (not shown) being employed to connect the cam shaft 42 with the crank shaft or with the auxiliary shaft 22. It will be understood, however, that the particular means disclosed for operating the valve constitutes no part of my invention and that the valve controlling mechanism may be operated directly by the shaft 22 or any other moving member.

The fuel inlet 43 is so located that it is always closed by one of the two pistons except during the admission of a. fuel charge, so that no valve need be rovided for said inlet. The location of the uel inlet as shown in Fig. 4 is such that the lower face of the sub-piston when the latter is at the end of its down-stroke is about in line with the lowermost portion of the inlet.

It will be understood of course that the foregoing detailed description comprises various elements which in the precise form shown in the drawings and described herein are not essential to my invention and that these parts may be considered simply as typical of the necessary elements of an internal combustion engine.

By means of the flutes or 'fuel passages 7 I secure an intimate and substantially perfect mixture of the fuel charge and this results in practically complete combustlon.

. As the power piston approaches the head of the sub-piston the charge which is contained in the space between these two elements is compressed and forced by such compression around the advancing head of the sub-piston through the restricted passage afforded by the flutes or fuel passages and is shot wit greatforce against the c linderhead in a member of relatively smal streams.

vious from an inspection of Fig. 1 in which.

the parts are shown in the position occupied immediately prior to ignition in the combustion chamber A. Should the power piston begin to move away from the sub-piston before the latter covers the inner ends of thefiutes, a portion of the effect of the explosion will be exerted against the lower face of said sub-piston in opposition to the 1 force exerted on the upper face thereof. It is essential also that the subsequent relative movement between the pistons be created positively.

The positive movement of the sub-piston,

with respect to the power piston is created by the crank 23 which communicates the necessary motion to the sub-piston through the connecting rod 24, the bell crank 25, 26, the connecting rod 28, the lever 21 and the link 20. The operation of these elements will be explained with referenceto Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 on which the several moving parts are indicated by lines identified by reference numerals corresponding to those used on Figs. 1 and 2 and provided with'exponents I, II, III, etc, to designatethe successive positions of the parts.

When both pistons are at the upper ends of their strokes (explosion position) as shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3, and the charge compressed in the combustion chamber, the

vvalve 35 beim closed, the charge is fired and the resulting explosion causes both pistons to descend at the same initial rate of speed and without any relative movement substantially until the power crank which rotates in the direction of the arrow has passed from its initial position 15 (Fig. 3) to position 15 (Fig. 4) approximately 150 degrees therefrom, at which point the crank 23 and connecting rod 24 are in alinement and the longer arm 26 of the bell crank and the lever 21 connected thereto are at their lowermost positions.

The pressure created by the explosion therefore follows and acts upon the pistons and by them is transmitted to the main crank during almost five-twelfths of a revolution, so that by far the greater part of the energy of the charge is utilized and the gas is exhausted at a very low pressure, the engine card having, in fact, many of the characteristics of a steam-engine card.

The sub-piston has now reached the lower end of its stroke at 18 and remains momentarily stationary covering the fuel inlet 43. The sub-piston just before reaching the end of its stroke begins to lag and the power piston moves away therefrom. The power piston continues its descent until it reaches the end of its down-stroke (position 11", Fig. 5) the crank now being at 15', but immediately after the crank arrived at 15 and while the power piston was descending from 11 to 11", the sub-piston began to ascend,

the rock shaft 27 being rotated clockwise by the movement of the crank 23 beyond 150 degrees and thereby forcing the connecting rod 28 upwardly, so that in the position of the parts represented in Fig. 5 the power piston is momentarily stationary and the sub-piston moving upwardly. The connecting rod 24, the bell crank 25. 20, the connecting rod 28, and the lever 21 constitute a motion-multiplying device whereby the up ward movement of the sub-piston is made extremely rapid as compared with the upward travel of the power piston, said subpiston reaching the end of its up-stroke when the main crank is at about 225 degrees from initial position. or 45 degrees beyond its position 15 (Fig. 5) and the arm 26 of the bell crank and the connecting rod 28 are in alinement.

The relative movement but a short distance from the position it occupies at the end of the down-stroke of the sub-piston to its position 11" which is the end of its own down-stroke. The exhaust valve 35 opens slightly before the sub-piston reaches the end of its down-stroke, and the burnt gases of the preceding explosion are mechanically expelled by the up-stroke of the sub-piston.

The crank 15 continuing its counter-clockwise rotation, the power piston ascends and as soon as it has covered the fuel inlet, it begins to compress the charge in the space be-' tween its upper face and the lower face of the sub-piston. By virtue of its rapid upward movement, the sub-piston has almost reached the end of its up-stroke before the power piston covers the fuel inlet. \Vhile the main crank is moving from a point about 225 degrees from initial position back to said position (shown at 15 Fig. 6) the sub-piston remains practically stationary. From this point until the main crank reaches its initial position the sub iston settles back a fraction of an inch 18),

. then advances to 18" which corresponds to position 18 and finally arrives at explosion position 18 which corresponds to position 18, the successive positions of'the lower face of the sub-piston and those of the elements 15, 23, 26 and 21 being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6.

A portion of the gas compressed in the space between the pistons passes around the head of the sub-piston by way of the flutes to the combustion chamber and pneumatically expels the remaining portion of the burnt gas through the exhaust passage whereupon the exhaust valve closes preferably shortly after the power piston has covered the fuel inlet and before any loss of the new charge through the exhaust. The charge compressed by the power piston is driven with great force through the flutes into the combustion chamber thereby shooting the charge against the cylinder head in a plurality of relatively small streams and effecting the thorough mixture of the same, until the crank having arrived at its initial position lo. ignition occurs and the cycle is repeated, there being one explosion at the end of every up-stroke or one per revolution of the crank shaft.

It will be obvious that by duplicating the v specifically thereto, for said parts may be sub-piston both arrang sub-piston While I have described in detail the relative movement of the parts which I have found to be satisfactory in practice, it will be understood that I do not limit myself variously adjusted and timed and other cycles may be affected.

1 claim:

1. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a ed to reciprocate within said cylinder, sald sub-piston being located between the combustion chainber and said power piston, a mainshaft provided with a crank, an auxiliary shaft provided with a crank, means actuated by the last mentioned crank for controlling said subpiston, and a pitman connecting said power piston to the first mentioned crank.

2. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, provided with a combustion chamber at one end only, a sub-piston and a power, piston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, said sub-piston having a single head located-between said combustion chamber and said power piston, a main shafthaving a crank, an auxiliary shaft. provided with a crank, means actuated by the crank of said auxiliary shaft for controlling said sub-piston, and a pitman connecting said power piston to the first mentioned crank. y

3. An internal combustion engine, com- I prising a cylinder, a power piston and a both arranged to reciprocate within 'said f cylinder, a main shaft having a crank, a p tman connecting said power piston to said crank, an auxiliary shaft provided with a crank, and means actuated by the crank of said'auxiliary shaft for causing positive movement of both pistons at the same initial rate of speed without relative movement and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between the same.

4. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a sub-piston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a main shaft having a crank, a pitman connecting said 'ower piston to said crank, an auxiliary sha t provided with a crank, and means actuated by the crank of said auxiliary shaft for causing positive movement, of said pistons initially at the same rate of speed without relative movement and subsequently at dif ferent rates of speed. i

5. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a sub-piston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a main shaft provided with a crank, a pitman connecting said power piston to said crank, an auxiliary shaft provided with a crank, and means actuated by the crank of said auxiliary shaft for causing said pistons to travel at the same rate of speed without relative movement until the sub-piston reaches substantially the end of its stroke and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movementrbetween the same.

(5. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, a power piston and an imperforatc sub-piston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a main shaft provided with a crank, a pitman connecting said power piston to said crank, an auxiliary shaft, 'and means actuated by said auxiliary shaft for causing said pistons to travel at the same rate of speed without relative move ment until said crank shall have rotated approximately one hundred and fifty degrees from its initial position, and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between said pistons.

7. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a subpiston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a main shaft having a crank, a pitman connecting said power piston to said crank, an auxiliary shaft, means actuated by said auxiliary shaft for causing said plstons to travel at the same rate of speed without relative movement until the sub-piston reaches substantially the end of its down-stroke, for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between said pistons and for holding the sub-piston substantially stationary at the end of its upstroke until the power piston shall have completed its up-stroke;

8. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a sub-piston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a main crank shaft, a pitman connecting said power piston to said crank, an auxiliary shaft provided with a crank journaled in proximity to said crank shaft, a bell crank journaled in proximity to said crank shaft, a connecting rod plvotally engaging said crank and one of the arms Cir of said "bell crank, a pivoted lever, a link connecting the other arm of said bell crank with said lever, and a'link connecting said lever to the rod of said sub-piston.

9'. An internal combustion engine, com prising a cylinder, a power piston and a sub-piston both arranged to reciprocate within 'said cylinder. a main crank shaft,

a pitman connecting said power piston to said crank, an auxiliary shaft provided with a crank journaled above said crank shaft, a bell crank journaled abov said crank shaft,

a connectin rod iivotallv en a in said.

t 2 b h crank and one of the arms of said bell crank, a pivoted lever, a link connecting the other arm of said bell crank with said lever, and a link connecting said lever to the rod of said sub-piston.

10. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a subpistonboth arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a main crank shaft, a pitman connecting said power piston to said crank,

an auxiliary shaft provided with a crank' journaled in proximity to said crank shaft,

a bell crank having arms of unequal length journaled in proximity to said crankshaft, :1 connecting rod pivotally engaging said crank and the shorter arm of said bell crank,

prising a cylinder provided with a combus tron chamber at one end only, a sub-pistonand a power piston both arranged'to reciprocate within said cylinder, said sub-piston having a. single head located between said combustion chamber and said power piston, a main shaft having a crank, a pitman connecting said power piston to said crank, an auxiliary shaft havlng a crank, means for causing the sub-piston to travel in contact with the power piston during a substantial portion of the power stroke and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between said pistons, and-a member connecting said means tov the crank of said auxiliary shaft.

12. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a sub-piston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a main shaft having a crank, a pitman connecting said power piston to said crank an auxiliary shaft provided with a cran means actuated by the c'ank of said auxiliary shaft for causing positive movement of said pistons at the through a restricted passage to the combustion chamber.

v13. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a sub-piston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a main shaft having a crank, a pitman connecting said power piston to said crank. an auxiliary shaft provided with a crank, means actuated by the crank of paid auxiliary shaft for causing positive movement of said pistons at the same initial rate of speed without relative movement and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between the same, and means whereby the charge of fuel in said cylinder is mixed during compression.

ll. An internal combustion engine, comthe combustion chamber in a plurality of relatively small streams.

-15. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder having a plurality of fuel passages arranged lengthwise in its bore at one end thereof, a power piston and a subpiston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a main shaft having a crank, a

pitmanconnecting said power piston to saidcrank, an auxiliary shaft provided with a crank, and means actuated by the crank of said auxiliary shaft for causing positive movement of said piston atv the same initial rate of speed without relative movement and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between the same.

16. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder having a plurality of fuel passages arranged in its bore near one end thereof, said fuel passages communicating with the combustion chamber of the engine, a power piston and a sub-piston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a main shaft having a crank, a pitman connecting said power piston to said crank, an auxiliary shaft provided with a crank, and means actuated by the crank of said auxiliary shaft for causing ositive movement of said pistons at the same initial rate of speed without relative movement, and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between the same.

17. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder provided with a combustion chamber, a sub-piston and a power piston both' arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, said sub-piston being located be tween said combustion chamber and said power piston, a main shaft having a crank, a pitman connecting said power piston to said crank, an auxiliary shaft having a crank, means for ausing the sub-piston to travel in contact with the power piston during a substantial portion of the power stroke and for causing, subsequently, positi 'e relative movementbetween said pistons, and a member connecting said means to the crank of said auxiliary shaft.

18. An internal combustion engine comprisinga cylinder, a sub-piston and a power piston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a main shaft having a; crank, a pitman connecting said power piston to said crank, an auxiliary shaft having a crank, means for causing the sub-piston to travel in contact with the power piston during a substantial portion of the a power stroke and for causing, subsequently, posi-@ tive relative movement between said pistons and a member connecting said means to the crank of said auxiliary shaft.

19. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a sub-piston both arranged to reciprocate within saidcylinder,'said sub-piston being located between the combustion, chamber and said power piston, a main shaft provided with a crank, an auxiliary shaft provided with a crank, means for controlling said sub-piston positively throughout the entire cycle, a member connecting said means to the crank of said auxiliary shaft, and a pitman connecting said power piston to the first mentioned crank.

'In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of August, 1916. I

RICHARD F. GILE. 

